The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-05-06

as | tramped along, and | had pass
ed the third trap without finding
any victims, when | came under Il
large tree. As | was not looking
for live game, had not surveyed
the limbs above me. The space be.
tween the tree and the water was
not over ten feet, and | was looking
ahead to locate the next trap, when
stepped into hole AID fell
sprawling. That fall probably saw
ed my life. felt something Craze
me as went down, there was a
horrible snarl in my ears, and that
internal panther pumped into tho
water with great splash.
81 had u shotgun with me, and 1t
was loaded for small game. | was
up before you could count fifteen.
My fall had flung the gun several
feet away, aud as soon as could
seize it | looked for the panther.
Missing his spring the way be did
probably disconnected him, and his
cold bath cooled his enthusiasm.
He fOundered around, climbed
back to dry land, aud after indulg
ing in shake to get rid of the wa
ter, he growled at me aud disap.
peared among the bushes. l sent
the charge of shot after him, but he
probably got off scot tree.
"Well, | got it into my head that
that varmint was after me aud no
tsedyelse. My partner had not even
got glimpse of him, while he haAl. a.
tgiss;SssA teg4isSs AfstiacEiash tc!iE II me. I just left the
traps and made bee line tor the
shanty and, that AFTERNOON we set a
trap in the woods to catch his high.
ness. The other dog was about
dead of his terrible wounds, and
we finished him and used him to
bait the trap. Two days and nights
went by and nothing further was
heard of tire panther. Then my
scare began to go of, and / set oul
to look over half our traps, while
my partner took the other half. ]
took further around the lake than
before, and at IL O'clock in the
forenoon | was through with the
last trap and loaded down with
game. AS | couldn't carry the
load back TO the shanty, | sat down
on q log to sluck some of the mink
and rats, and pretty soon had for
gotten all about the panther. |
was near the butt OF the log or fall
en- tree, The OIL her end of which was
very buShy. had MY back to this,
and had worked for half an hour
when it struck me powerful hard
and all of IA sudden that | was in
danger. 1t was like a voice calling
to me, and at the same moment a
chill Travelled up my back. |
wheeled square about, and there
was that internal panther creeping
down the trunk as softly as cat to
get nigh enough to spring on me.
AT my motion he stopped with a
spit and sndrl, and CREASED light
Mug was nowhere compared to my
My gun was loaded
with 6uckshot this time, and | lift
ed her up and fired at him from
distance of about forty feet. He
was hit By one or two of the shot,
aud the scream he gave was heard
by my partner three-qnarterS of a
mile away. AS he screamed he
made flying leap to another log,
aud from that be went into the
nnderbrush.
"Do you want to know how far
panther can jump when lie let's him
self out; | measured the distance
from log to log with tape-line,
ind it was thirty -four feet to a dot.
was looking dead at him, aud
know ho didn't touch the ground
between the logs. | wanted to pull
up stakes for a new locality, but
he fear of ridicule prevented my
Iaying so. My partner agreed that
/ was a little strange / should be
singled out in such way by the
Drnte; but as L bad escaped him
bus far, there was no reason TO be
Upset.. l was, however, aud L didn't
cave the camp again that day.
'he night passed quietly, aud, as
be next day was rainy, neither OF
IS went out. If the panther had
listed our trap, he had kept bis
avs free OF it; aud l argued from
his that he preferred live man to
dead dog. 1t had come to be
wilight, aud the rain had ceased,
Then my partner started for the
pring, laughingly wondering If be
Tould see my panther. He LETT the
oor open as he went, | had just ,
uished cleaning aud reloadiag my
hOtgun, and had it in my hands to
ut away, when something lit In the
Doorway, aud a lightning glance
bowed me it was the panther. He ,
rasn't over seven feet from me,
nd was gathering tor a spring
-hen l whlrled the gun over, and
Tithout stopping to take aim, pull
the trigger. There was a biz
barge OF buckshoi, aud The upper
alf Of the beasts head was blown
IN feet away, while the body roll ,
1 into the house, aud the sharp
laws seized and tore a blanket to F;
ieces before death came. He {
lust have been close at haud when I
" partner steppl out, and Why I
E did not attack him instead OF
Iaking q fourth set at ne / leave
% TO fgore outyourselL IL seem
/ as If l was marked for his victim, !,